The Battle for Innocence
by Charmed
Summary: Two lonley orphans find their way into a fantasy world where nothing is as it seems, and all is upside down. The Labyrinth...
1. The Opening

The Opening  
  
Author's Note: If you think you have read this before the date 2/10/02, you haven't. I had two chapters posted, I read them over, realized how bad they were, and am in the process of completely rewriting, so sit back, relax, reread, and rereview!  
  
Disclaimer: I own Alyssa Mortenson, Daniel Thorton, and anyone you don't recognize. I have free will to make them do whatever I want. (*Evil cackle*) Other than that, Jareth is his own puppet; I just pull the strings of him and the Muppets.  
  
Jim Henson is a Saint.  
  
Alyssa Mortenson sat in a hall window seat staring out at the pouring rain, wondering if it was ever going to stop. She doubted it. It had been raining for practically three days straight, and she was starting to get sick of it. She had to admit, however, that the falling rain did fit her mood perfectly. Ever since her mother and father had died in a car accident three years back, she had been sent her to live at the Sparrow Hawk Orphanage, because Mama and Papa had no living relatives. It wasn't a bad place, but Alyssa still had her bouts of depression. Alyssa gave one last pointed sigh at the rain lashing against the glass, and then slid her legs off the window seat. She sat there for a second, trying to decided whether to leave her blanket and pillow there, or take it with her and sleep somewhere different tonight. The window seat was her favorite spot to sleep, but she had slept in it the last three nights, and it was getting a little boring. The children of  
Sparrow Hawk pretty much got to sleep where they wanted. The littlest ones got first dibs on the beds, and because the beds were scarce, you had to be careful where you stepped at night, so not to trod on a hand, foot, or even a face. Alyssa decided to leave her things there to reserve her spot, and talk a walk around the orphanage to look for a new sleeping spot, so, slowly she stood up stretched her full height of 5'4.  
"Hello Alyssa!" A cheerful voice called and Alyssa jumped, the voice belonged to Daniel Thorton, another boy at the orphanage who was one of Alyssa's best friends.  
  
"Hello Daniel," she replied, not fully succeeding to keep the sadness out of her voice, watching as he came up a staircase down the hallway to her left. Daniel gave her a sad smile and threw an arm around her shoulder,  
  
"Memory day?" He asked, memory days were what the orphans in the House called days where memories of Before were particularly strong, brining about sadness and depression. Alyssa had to look up slightly to meet his shiny gray eyes, which were a stark contrast to his raven black hair.  
"Yeah," she responded, a bit warmer.  
"Those are always hard," Daniel suddenly got a faraway, pain filled look in his eyes and Alyssa knew that he was lost in his own memories. He was one of the few at Sparrow Hawk who refused to talk about their past, and the only thing that Alyssa knew was that he had been in the Orphanage longer than she had.  
  
Daniel gave her another bright smile as he snapped as suddenly out of his reverie as he had slipped into it.  
  
"Well, I've got something to make you feel better," he said, "I was looking for you just now to see if you wanted to see something."  
  
"Sure," Alyssa said, smiling. Daniel looked at her funny for a second.  
  
"What?" She asked, "Do I have something on my face?"  
  
"No, It's just you should smile more often, it makes your face prettier." He said, turning to walk in the opposite direction from which he had come. Alyssa rolled her eyes and turned to follow, but the small smile remained on her face.  
Sparrow Hawk was a gargantuan house set smack in the middle of the Victorian section of the town of Tripsithe. It was a corner house with a good size yard in the back with a swimming pool and basketball hoop. The house was big enough that it took a long time to walk the whole of it, what with all of its twists and turns, secret passage or two, and many, many staircases. They walked in silence for a few minutes, other than saying "hi," to some of the other kids they passed, the orphanage housed kids from the age of five all the way up to seventeen. Suddenly Daniel broke the silence,  
"You see anybody?"  
"In the hallway?" Alyssa asked puzzled  
"Yeah, anywhere, I don't want anyone else to see this."  
"Umm," Alyssa looked around, "No?"  
  
"Good," Daniel said, and suddenly grabbed Alyssa's hand, flung open the door next to him, pulled the startled girl inside, and quietly, but quickly shut the door behind them.  
  
"Daniel?" Alyssa asked, standing in the pitch dark  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We're in a closet." Daniel glanced toward the direction of the ceiling, fumbled around on the wall and hit the light switch, and suddenly the room flooded with light. and "Step," he commanded.  
"What?" Alyssa asked, confused, blinking in the sudden bright light.  
"Into my hands," Alyssa's vision cleared and she saw that Daniel had laced his fingers together into a net. "Step onto my hand and press up on the ceiling, there's a panel."  
  
Alyssa looked up at the ceiling, squinting, "I don't see anything..."  
  
"Trust me," Daniel said, chucking her chin lightly with his fist and grinning his boyish grin. Alyssa couldn't help smiling and made and exasperated noise. With minimal difficulty, placed her foot in Daniel's hands, pushed of his shoulders, and held onto the shelves lined with cleaning supplies. Even up this close, about five inches away, she had to strain to see the panel, it's seams blended in with the ceiling so well. She would have never noticed it from the ground.  
  
"How did you find this?" She asked in amazement. There was a gruff mumble in which the only words that Alyssa caught were, "angry" and "throwing things". She rolled her eyes with a smile and after a second of balancing, let go of the shelves and shoved the panel aside. It it's place was a dark, gaping hole. Alyssa reached up and straining, propped her arms on the edges, and pulled herself up.  
  
She stood, staring. It was a small, dark room, complete with table and chairs, oil lamp, a rag rug, and a small book. Everything looked like it had about ten years worth of dust on it, except for the spots where it looked like Daniel had moved around the last time he had been there. Suddenly the sound of scuffling came from below, and with a loud clatter Daniel's head popped through the hole in the floor suddenly, and within the space of a few seconds, was standing next to Alyssa.  
  
"Sh!" He said, and quickly dragged the panel back over the opening, plunging them into darkness once again.  
  
"Wha-" Alyssa began, but Daniel slapped a strong hand over her mouth just as the sound of the closet door from below was opened.  
  
"What the hell?" They heard someone exclaim, "Aw man! Damn it! Somebody go and get Master Tain, one of the shelves fell down in here. What a mess!" The person flicked the light off in the closet, and with a loud bang, shut the door.  
  
"You know," Alyssa mumbled through Daniels hand a few seconds later, "If could get up all by your lovely little self, why did we have to go through the trouble of me clambering all over you?"  
"Because," Daniel said, he had removed his hand when she had started speaking, "you can't open the panel by just climbing up, you have to throw something, and I didn't really want to attract anyone's attention. Lifting you was the only other option, I didn't want to break you arms by having you hold me."  
"Your not that heavy," she replied, "Is there a light in here?" She asked, "I can't see a thing."  
  
"Yeah, stand here, and I'll get a candle."  
  
"Candles?" Alyssa asked as she heard Daniel move away, "Did you bring them up or were they already here?"  
  
"I brought them, I come up here a lot." Daniel replied out of the darkness, "It's like, you know, my spot to come when I'm down."  
  
"Why'd you bring me up then?" Alyssa asked his disembodied voice.  
  
"Well," Daniel said, sounding a bit uncomfortable, "You're one of my best friends here, and I thought that I would share my secret with you."  
  
"Oh, thank you," Alyssa said, touched. Suddenly with the sound of a match striking, the room lit up slightly, and Daniel set about lighting three candles. When they were lit, he picked up two of them, leaving one in a holder on the floor, and gave one to Alyssa.  
  
"So," He said, going over to sit in one of the chairs. "It's a good secret isn't it?" He asked, looking at her intently. Alyssa smiled,  
  
"It's not bad," She extended her arm and picked up the book that she had just noticed lying on the dusty table. The book cover told her that Daniel had never picked it up in all of his times up in the secret spot because it too was so covered in dust that she couldn't read the title. Daniel stood up and walked over to look over her shoulder at the book.  
"That's funny, that was never here before." Alyssa lifted the book and gently blew across the cover. The dust flew off, sending Daniel into fits of coughing, and revealing the title.  
  
Labyrinth  
  
Daniel's coughing subsided and he leaned over her, his hand pulling her shoulder back so he could see.  
"Whoa, that book must be a hundred years old!" He exclaimed. "I can't believe that I haven't seen it before!" Daniel frowned, looking the book over. Alyssa nodded, hiding her smile as she thought about making a crack about Daniels observation skills, but for some reason the thought never made it's way into verbal words. The book was leather bound and the words were in gilt gold. Alyssa reached her hand across the book and slowly, gently opened the cover. Suddenly, white light exploded from the interior of the book, and both she and Daniel had the sudden sensation of falling. Alyssa felt the air whip past her as she clutched the book in her right hand and suddenly felt herself hurled into Daniel. He grabbed her close and held her protectively in his arms; terrified she put her free arm around him. An instant later they landed, and everything was black. Thus began the most perilous adventure of their lives. 


	2. The Stranger

The Stranger   
  
  
  
"Daniel?" A very groggy Alyssa mumbled. She ached all over,   
particularly on her back, which seemed to have been the part of her   
body that had taken the brunt of the fall. "Stupid floorboards," she   
muttered, "I'll have Daniel's head for this." She groaned, "and then   
Master Tain will have both of ours." She sat up, still grumbling, a part   
of her mind vaguely registered that she was still holding the book, and   
Daniel's hand, and why was it so damn hot? Then, Alyssa opened her   
eyes, and her whole world halted to a stop.   
"Toto, were not in Kansas any more," she whisper, her mouth had   
dropped open and she was frozen in her spot. Spread out in front of   
her, like a dreamscape, was a gargantuan life sized.... Labyrinth.   
Alyssa glanced down at the book in her right hand, at the gold words   
on the cover, and began to tremble.   
"Daniel..." She whispered, giving the hand she held a small shake,   
not able to tear her eyes away from the scene before her. When   
Daniel didn't respond, she tried again, "Daniel," shaking his hand even   
harder. After a third call and shake prompted no response, she forced   
her gaze to Daniel who she realized was still unconscious. Looking   
closer, Alyssa realized that something was wrong, and she stared   
harder, with a sudden jolt, she realized that Daniel wasn't breathing.   
"Oh, my, gosh," Alyssa said, "The fall must have..." she stopped   
talking and began wracking her brain for a solution. A half buried   
memory struggled out of the depths her memory. It was a vision of   
swimming lessons, and her being bored, so she had begun reading a   
CPR safety poster. Alyssa dropped the book and Daniel's hand and   
scrambled up to kneel by his side. She struggled to remember the   
CPR, she pinched his nose shut, opened his mouth, and with only a   
moments hesitation, lowered her mouth onto his, and gently blew.   
Alyssa waited a moment, ignoring the fluttering in her chest that came   
when her lips touched his. She then quickly sat up, put her hands on   
the lower part of his chest, and pushed, five times in quick succession,   
and then went back to his mouth.   
"If you die on me," she hissed through gritted teeth, "I'll kick your   
ass." She wasn't sure if this would work on people who hadn't been   
drowning, but it was worth a shot. She was starting to cry, which   
surprised her, she never cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry   
Daniel, wake up please, don't leave me here alone. I-I don't want to   
be alone anymore..." She was talking through her tears as she pressed   
on his still chest. As she lowered her lips to his a fourth time,   
something happened. Some point in the breathing, she wasn't sure   
when, Daniel began breathing on his own, and the CPR ceased to be   
CPR, as he responded to the lips that were pressing against his with a   
gentle kiss. Some ignored part of her took over, and she responded,   
almost needy, and then she got control and jerked away.   
"Weeell, what a warm welcome back to the land of the   
living," Daniel drawled, smiling broadly.   
"Jerk, I was giving you CPR for you information, you stopped   
breathing," Alyssa replied, her face was hot, and she was angry. The   
kiss had awoken feelings in her that she wanted buried. Her hand went   
up to her cheek and brushed away the tears. Daniel saw, and looked   
at her concerned, but knowing her stubborn pride, didn't say anything.   
"Thank you," he said simply.   
"Yeah, well, I have half a mind to knock you out and leave you   
there." She replied, looked away, and gasped as she saw and   
remembered where they were. Daniel heard her gasp, and sat up. He   
froze and looked out at the impossibility that was stretched before   
him.   
"What... where are we?" He whispered, unconsciously sliding closer   
to Alyssa.   
"I don't know," Alyssa slowly got to her feet, and reached down to   
help Daniel up.   
"Ooh, my head," he moaned as his knee's trembled. Alyssa was   
shorter than he was so it would be hard to support him, but she   
wrapped an arm around his back, and steadied him.   
"Thanks," Daniel said gruffly, his ears turning bright red at the   
thought of needing help. In a moment, he was steady, and he was no   
longer dizzy.   
"Welcome." A soft, seducing voice from behind them caused both   
of them to spin round. The man standing behind them was without a   
doubt the strangest man that either of them had ever seen. He was   
dressed in a tight black outfit with a furry gray dappled open short   
shirt, and a black satin cape. His hair was exaggeratedly layered with   
colors ranging from platinum blonde to light brown on each of the   
small-layered pieces. Normally they would have been in agreement in   
their wariness of the man that had seemingly appeared from nowhere,   
but, the Labyrinth's magic was beginning to weave its spell, and they   
saw him in two lights. To Alyssa, the magic caused her to see that   
man as the most beautiful creation ever made, a man to adore that   
would adore her and care for her and who would never ever leave   
her. She stared at him with adoration and longing in her eyes. But,   
the magic didn't work on Daniel. He could see the full threat that this   
man posed towards them, and he stepped protectively in front of   
Alyssa.   
"Now, now," the man said in his voice that sent shivers running   
through both of them, Alyssa's of longing, Daniel's of fear. "No need   
for that." The strange man eyed them, his facial features looked as if   
they had be chiseled from the finest marble, and then smoothed over   
and over with years of delicate rubbing, leaving him with a face that   
could show expression, or passive tranquility, perfectly.   
"How do you like my Labyrinth?" The man asked suddenly, putting   
Daniel off-balance.   
"It's wonderful." Alyssa breathed, and Daniel looked at her sharply,   
not recognizing her tone of voice. The man smiled, and beckoned   
Alyssa nearer, but as she began to move, Daniel's arm shot out,   
preventing her from moving.   
"Daniel, would you mind moving your arm?" She asked sounding   
so like the easily irritated Alyssa that he knew, that Daniel dropped his   
guard, and his arm, slowly. Alyssa walked toward the stranger,   
wearing a dreamy smile that made Daniel immediately regret the   
decision to let her go. The man's arm reached out, and Alyssa's paced   
quickened in anticipation, wanting to be close to him. When she   
reached him, the man drew her into a loving embrace that lasted for   
so long that Daniel began to quiver with an unconcealed rage that he   
didn't understand. Alyssa and the man parted, and the man began to   
speak,   
"What is your name child?" The man asked while smiling   
disarmingly, Daniel could see Alyssa tremble. Daniel wanted to run to   
her, wrap her in his arms, and pull her away from the stranger, but his   
feet were rooted the spot, and he stood in stony silence.   
"Alyssa," Alyssa whispered, staring into the man's eyes.   
"What a lovely name child," Daniel watched as Alyssa face lit up like   
the sun was on it, and saw a look of pure joy on her face at the man's   
praise.  
"Would you like to know my name, my dear girl?" The man asked,   
with that sweet smile still on his face. Alyssa nodded, the child-like   
innocence in her eyes was almost too much for Daniel, and he   
struggled with his planted body that refused to follow his desperate   
instructions.   
"I am Jareth." The force of the name nearly bowled Daniel over,   
and for the first time since Alyssa had walked to him, Jareth turned his   
gaze toward Daniel, Alyssa's eyes followed his look, buy her eyes   
seemed to see right through Daniel, and blankly out towards the   
endless Labyrinth.   
"And, she is mine." Jareth said to Daniel, reaching to stroke   
Alyssa's hair.   
"Never," Daniel hissed, he could practically feel the burning touch of   
the man on his own head.   
"Oh no? Look at her," Jareth replied mockingly, his eyes moving to   
caress Alyssa's neck, then cheek, "she would follow me... anywhere."   
He left the threat hanging in the hair, leaving Daniel to fill in the gap   
with his own imagination. "But, I do love a good sporting chance."   
Jareth sighed, "I guess I could give you a chance to get her back."   
"Continue." Daniel said icily. An old clock with thirteen hours gold   
shining numbers around the face suddenly shimmered into being next   
to Jareth, and the hands of the clock began to wind.   
"You have thirteen hours to get to the castle beyond the goblin   
city," Daniel looked back toward the monstrous enigma, and in the   
distance he could see the form of an enormous castle in the distance.   
Daniel's shoulder's slumped, but he then straighten, and faced Jareth   
squarely.   
"She stays with me." He said, determinably.   
"Done." Jareth replied, and he turned to face Alyssa, who turned to   
look at him. Jareth leaned over; cupping her face in both his hands he   
slowly kissed her forehead. Daniel nearly retched in disgust.   
"My dear, I will see you again." Jareth said, and suddenly Daniel   
found he could move his feet again. He dashed Alyssa's side and   
snatched her away from Jareth and began rubbing vigorously at her   
forehead as he retreated.   
"You fail, and she is mine, and you, well, in thirteen hours I will   
have decide your fate." Jareth gave a mock bow, sweeping his black   
satin cape.   
"Thirteen hours..." The words hung in the air as Jareth and the   
clock shimmered, and then disappeared.   
Suddenly Alyssa gave a horrible cry, and collapsed to the ground.   
"Alyssa! What is it? What's wrong?" Daniel knelt next to her and   
reached out to her, but she shied away from his touch.   
"Him..." Her breath came in ragged gasps, "the emotions.... my   
thoughts.... his... his... touch." Alyssa broke down into nearly   
hysterical sobs rubbing frantically at her forehead, and Daniel realized   
the cause of it. She had regained her usual senses, but she could still   
remember her longing for Jareth, the caress of his nimble fingers, and   
the touch of his lips.   
"Alyssa! Stop! It's not your fault, he was controlling you!" Daniel   
grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her head, afraid   
that she would rub her skin to raw. He slid his hands up her arms and   
held her upper arms, and pulled her onto his lap. She began to kick   
and resist, but he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way,   
and she soon gave up, curling into a dejected ball, and giving into her   
disgusted tears of self-loathing.   
  
"Feel better?" Daniel asked, the now-soaked Alyssa. She answered   
by dunking her head into the little pool they had found again, one   
hand on the edge of the pool, the other on the Labyrinth book that   
they had decided to carry with them. She was under so long that he   
grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back up. "Absolutely no   
drowning." He said, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it,   
but when she was standing she didn't drop it.   
"Daniel, I," she began, looking at the ground, "I wanted to, to thank   
you." She finally said. Daniel smiled,   
"What would you have expected me to do?" He asked her, and she   
looked up into his gray eyes. Suddenly both felt uncomfortable, and   
Alyssa dropped Daniels hand, and they both looked away,   
embarrassed.   
"So..."   
"Yeah, anyway," Alyssa replied, "Let's go find that castle..."   
  
  
* * *   
  
Ah, Alyssa, don't you know that it's hopeless? You are mine and I will   
keep it that way. I haven't a girl in a long time. You need me Alyssa   
and you know that. You don't need Daniel, I am the one that you   
want, me. No one else. NO ONE.   
  
* * * 


	3. The Threshold

The Threshold   
  
  
  
"You think this is it?" Alyssa asked Daniel in a low voice. They were standing in front of a large wrought iron gate that was place in the wall surrounding Jareth's   
Labyrinth.   
"Got to be," Daniel whispered back, "so, you want to ring the bell, or should I?"   
Alyssa gave him a wane smile. Daniel had noticed how her nerves had been on edge every since she had calmed down and knew she was thinking about what was at stake.   
They both walked over to the gate and pushed. The gate swung noisily inward, screeching on unused hinges. As the screeching stopped, all was silent. Alyssa suddenly reached her hand toward Daniel, who took it in his. They stood on the threshold, and trembled. They were on the brink of the unknown, with no guiding hand, and disastrous consequences for mistakes.   
"Times wasting," Daniel whispered.   
"Yeah, let's go."   
As they walked into the Labyrinth, the gate screeched behind them, and shut with a loud clang. Alyssa let go of Daniels hand and ran back to the now-closed gates and pulled on the bars. It didn't budge. She turned her face to Daniel, sunlight on the other side of the gate flowed onto the girls face cut by the shadows from the bars.  
"It won't budge," Alyssa said desperately.  
"That's probably a good thing," Daniel said, turning to look around at where they were.   
"If they weren't locked I'd probably be running through them screaming 'screw it' at the top of my lungs."  
"You would not be!" Alyssa said, a small smile on her face. She reluctantly walked away from the gate that now imprisoned them. "So, strong, brave manly leader, which direction do we go in?" The path that led into the Labyrinth from the gate now spilt into a three-pronged fork. Daniel looked down all three and then started scanning the ground.  
"What are you looking for?" Alyssa asked, Daniel instead of answering bent down and scooped up a handful of smooth stones.  
"These," he replied, and using three of the stones made a kind of triangle that pointed down the path that was to their right.  
"I take it we are taking that path," Alyssa said, beginning to walk quickly in that direction, leaving Daniel scrambling to catch up.  
  
Minutes later they were still walking down paths and around random bushes. Daniel noticed Alyssa's face was strained and pale, every once and a while when she thought that he wasn't looking she would reach up to her forehead and violently rub the her forehead below her thin bangs, as if trying to rid herself of the memory of Jareth's kiss.   
The Labyrinth seemed to go on forever. The walls were at least nine feet high and there was no way to tell whether or not they had been that way before.   
"This is stupid!" Daniel finally exclaimed, "We can't tell which way were going, for all we know we have been going in circles for the past ten minutes."   
"You got a better idea?" Alyssa snapped, she was scared and that wasn't an emotion that she liked very much.   
"Well, excuse me, Miss High and Mighty-" Daniel suddenly stopped I mid-insult, his face light up with the idea that was forming in his head. "That's it!" He exclaimed.   
"What?" Alyssa asked.   
"You, high!"   
"You aren't making any sense at all."   
"I'll lift you up and you can get a good look around from the top of this wall." Daniel went over to the wall on his left and put his fingers together in a step. "C'mon."   
"If you drop me, I'll kick your ass." Alyssa replied, going and placing her foot into his hands.   
"Yeah, yeah." Daniel muttered, "That's what you said about me dying too."   
"What?" Alyssa said, freezing.   
"I said that I wish we could be flying... too." Daniel said, fumbling to recover. She had obviously not expected him to hear what she had said, let alone remember or care.   
Alyssa gave him a sharp glance, and then shifted her weight and struggled to stand, using Daniel's shoulders to steady herself. A moment later she let go, and reached up, and grabbed onto the ledge of the top of the wall over her head. Daniel felt her light weight leave his hands as she painstakingly pulled herself up onto the wall. Alyssa stood up and took a good look around. The wall she was on was just a divider between it and the next path.   
"There's another path next to me," she described to Daniel, then pointed toward the center of the Labyrinth, "That's the way we have to go, we were headed in pretty much parallel to the castle, we need to veer more to the left. If you walk in the direction that you are facing, you'll find a space in the wall I'm standing on that leads to the path next to me." Before she could go on, a sudden tremor shook the wall; Alyssa gave a small yelp and fell out of sight.   
"Alyssa!" Daniel called fearfully, regaining his balance, "are you alright?" There was silence, and then he was answered by a shrill scream from the other side.   
"Daniel! Help!" Daniel heart had dropped to the path as ran in the direction of the gap that Alyssa had mentioned. He was running, his panicking mind imagining all sorts of possible calamities that could have befallen her, and he picked up the pace. As he reached the gap and spun around the corner, he saw Alyssa pressing herself thigh up against the wall of the Labyrinth, with what could only be described as a goblin holding a spear to her throat.   
Daniel froze, not wanting to make any sudden movements for fear of startling the goblin into doing something rash. The ugly creature glanced up and saw him standing there.   
"Ah, heh heh," It laughed, a deep throaty, scratchy sound. "She be yours? You own her?"   
"What?" Daniel asked, not comprehending what he was asking. The goblin shook his head,   
"I asked you if this was your property, your girl." The goblin's scratchy, deep voice sounded annoyed.   
"Ah, n-no." Daniel stuttered. The goblin laughed again his face splitting into an evil grin,   
"Well, then she can be mine, git up girl." Alyssa went white,   
"Why does every damn thing in this entire funhouse want to kidnap me?" Alyssa asked in a horrified and outraged voice as she scrambled to her feet, keeping a scared eye on the spear, still pointed at her throat.   
Daniel could see the fear in her eyes so he thought fast.   
"I wouldn't do that if I were you friend," Daniel said, taking on a calm composure.   
"Oh? And why not?" The goblin asked suspiciously.   
"Because Jareth has claimed her for himself." The goblin's reaction was just what   
Daniel had been hoping for, the hideous thing took on a look of terror, and immediate snatched back his spear. Alyssa scrambled away from the goblin in Daniel's direction.   
She reached him and stood behind him, a hand clenched onto his arm, he could feel her trembling.   
"I-I is sorry missy." The goblin called, "didn't know. Please," he looked imploringly at Daniel, "Don't mention it to His Majesty."   
"Who?" Daniel asked, "Oh, Jareth? He's your king?"   
"Yes sir, the Goblin King, and a fine one he is too."   
"I see," Daniel couldn't help noticing that the goblin didn't look too sincere as he complimented Jareth, but Daniel didn't say anything. "I won't tell Jareth... if you help us." Alyssa had slightly lessened her death grip on Daniel's arm and stopped shaking.   
She was still hiding behind Daniel, but she looked imploringly at the goblin.   
"What, what is it that you be needing help with?" The goblin asked, almost suspiciously.   
"We need to get to the castle, in the center of the Labyrinth." Alyssa called, in a voice that she hoped didn't sound frightened.   
"What for?" The goblin was definitely suspicious now.   
"Because..." Daniel tried to think fast.   
"Because we have to meet Jareth." Alyssa finished for him; Daniel glanced back at her in surprise, astonished at her ability think of what would appease the goblin so quickly.   
"Oh! Well, yes then, by the Bog of Stench, yes! You wouldn't want to keep Jareth waiting now, he's not the patient sort."   
"We noticed." Daniel said wryly.   
"Well, follow me," The goblin said, walking towards them and then passing them, setting off in the opposite direction that Alyssa had pointed from her vantage point on the wall. "My names Crupnet, what are yours?" The goblin, now known to be Crupnet, called over his shoulder,   
"I'm Daniel," Daniel said, walking to keep pace with Crupnet, looking a bit confused as to the direction the were headed "She's Alyssa."   
"Pretty thing," Crupnet said, glancing back at Alyssa, who winced and reddened at the same time. Daniel glanced at her also, a funny little smile on his face, then turned back to the goblin who was walking backward and addressing Alyssa. "I am sorry about the whole kidnapping thing. I would 'ave only brought you along to help my little woman out in the home, honest." He called to her.   
"That's alright, as long as you keep that pointy stick of yours pointed in the other direction, we'll be fine." Crupnet nodded suddenly tripping over a stone he stumbled.   
Daniel lunged forward and caught the short goblin before he fell.  
"Thank you," Crupnet said gruffly as Daniel steadied him. Once he was sure of his feet the goblin continued walking, facing forward this time.   
"So, how did you find your way here? Not many 'umans come to the Labyrinth.   
Before you two was a girl named Sarah. 'is Majesty kidnapped her brother for her but she wanted him back so he made her solve the Labyrinth. She did it too. She 'ad help, course, but they got through all of Jareth's tricks and made it just in time." Crupnet called over his shoulder.   
"Who did she get help from?" Daniel asked, keen to know who could be trusted. As they were talking Crupnet was leading them deeper and deeper in to the Labyrinth. Twist and turns flashed past, leaving Daniel's head spinning.   
"Oh... just sumat that weren't happy with 'is Majesty."   
"Is Jareth not easy to get along with?" Daniel asked, but Crupnet never got a chance to answer. With a loud bang and an ostentatiously bright flash, Jareth was standing on the path in front of them.   
"No!" Daniel heard Alyssa yell hoarsely; trying to shield her eyes and back up at the same time, "Not! Again!" Daniel tried to grope out with his hands to find Alyssa but the flash had blinded him, and the magic of the Labyrinth, Jareth's magic   
"Allllllllllyssa." Jareth whispered, and Alyssa's hand's slowly lowered; the blank, adoring look creeping into her eyes. Daniel didn't notice Crupnet groveling on the ground until Jareth turned his attention to the ugly sniveling goblin.   
"Ah, Crupnet, you wouldn't happen to be helping them get my castle would you?" Jareth said to the trembling body. Crupnet looked up with a confused look on his face and stuttered,   
"Y-y-yes, yes my Lord, I w-was, t-t-they said that you w-were waiting for   
t-t-them."   
"Ah, you obviously haven't heard the latest news, have you my hideous subject?"   
Jareth asked softly, but Daniel heard a hint of warning in the low voice.   
"N-n-no," Crupnet said, his eyes wide.   
"The are being challenged you miniature piece of filth! They are trying to get to the center of the Labyrinth to take back what I have taken," His angry tone suddenly dropped as his eyes strayed to Alyssa, "or what I have threatened to take. Stand up Crupnet."   
Jareth commanded his eyes still on Alyssa's young face "hold the boy." Daniel arms were suddenly pinned behind him before he could blink, the goblin moved with astonishing speed. The minute the Goblin had touched him Daniels vision  
"Come here, Alyssa," Jareth called, and Alyssa slowly walked towards him.   
"No! Don't Alyssa! You'll regret this later!" Daniel tone of voice was frantic as he desperately struggled, but the goblin's hands held upper arms like a vice. Alyssa walked passed him, and Daniel stuck out a foot, the only thing he could think of to do and sent her sprawling to the ground. She looked around as she got back to her feet, and in glancing at Jared her face suddenly hardened, and disgust swept through her eyes.   
"Yes, yes! Fight it Alyssa! You can do it!" Daniel hissed, and would have said more, but a crippling blow from Crupnet's foot drove him to his knees. Alyssa's face suddenly contorted at Daniels grunt of pain, and she wrenched away from the controlling presence in her mind.   
"No... I won't... let you." Alyssa struggled to get out the words, and then Jareth's hold on her for that moment snapped, "No!" She screamed, "Never!"   
With surprising force, she grabbed Daniel's hand, and because Crupnet was startled by her forceful rejection of Jareth's control, she wrenched him from the grasp of the goblin.   
"Run!" She cried half pulling him along. They ran, but Jareth didn't give chase.  
  
In thirteen hours you will be mine, Alyssa.  
  
His seductive whisper entered her mind and stopped her dead in her tracks.   
"What-" Daniel began, but then his turn came. The voice bit deep into his soul, it thundered quietly in his mind. Daniel knew somehow without her saying anything that Alyssa couldn't hear the words that Jareth had meant only for him.  
  
Daniel, you and I understand each other. The end of these thirteen hours is going to more painful for you then you will ever imagine. I can see your thoughts, Daniel  
  
I know your feelings.  
  
I will be amused. 


End file.
